February 7, 2026

Life tilted on its axis

That old adage about never being too complacent held true for me recently because life certainly chucked a curved ball in our direction towards the end of last year, which completely upended our lives. With no warning at all our lives changed, and there's no going back. There's only the fog of uncertainty as we navigate the way forward.


Although for completely different reasons this 360 degree turnaround has also been the equally unexpected fate of several friends. This could be sheer coincidence, an indication of our ages, or an example in miniature of the chaotic state of the wider world where the full force of climate change fury is being felt across the country, while elsewhere in the world humanity is hellbent on waging war and destruction causing devastation and grief. It all makes a complete mockery of the ‘Peace on Earth and Goodwill towards Men’ that is a feature of the Christian calendar during December/January in many parts of the globe. As we prepared to wave goodbye to 2025 it’s a celebration that rang very hollow for many people  – and is continuing to do so heading into 2026. All that annual optimism that normally surrounds the start of a new year also looked and felt a bit desperate.


But despite the challenges there's no option but to keep on keeping on, so that’s what we’re doing. But even the vegetable garden has come out in sympathy and let us down this year. Like many others we know, our tomato harvest has been pathetic. In truth it's lmost non-existent. As it's likely to do with each year now, climate again played its part. A cold spring that unexpectedly reversed back to winter for a week in October wrecked many of the tomato plants John had grown from seed. They simply couldn’t cope. As a result all but one plant turned up their toes.  So did the cucumbers, capsicums, and one of the established blackcurrant bushes. Raspberries are also limping along. I’m picking enough for a bowlful each for dessert each evening, but the freezer certainly won’t be receiving too many of this season’s crop. There aren’t a lot of boysenberries in there either this time. Beating the blackbirds and starlings is always an uphill battle but even getting up ludicrously early didn't really help as the crop wasn’t as prolific as usual. So far therefore we can anticipate pumpkins since they are producing well, but unless we get some serious rain they too will struggle. Rain is supposedly coming tomorrow but as it’s been forecast before to no avail, I’m not holding my breath.

 

 The photo showing a glassbowl full of berries therefore, isn't really an accurate representation of this year's harvest!

 

 


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Badger the beagle

The secrecy around toxicity testing on animals

By Anne Layton-Bennett • August 4, 2026
An Animals Australia article that highlights the use of toxicity testing of chemicals on animals is still being done around the globe.

Finding a publisher could be getting closer

By Anne Layton-Bennett • July 22, 2026
Attracting the interest of a publisher for this story of a community’s campaign to stop what would have been ‘the world’s fourth largest pulp mill’ being built was never going to be easy, but hoping the first of two 3-minute Literary Speed Dating pitch sessions will prompt at least one of the two publishers to request the full MSS. And preferably both of them. These twice-yearly Perfect Pitch sessions are offered to members of the Australian Society of Authors, and this is the first time I’ve taken advantage of them – mainly because of the need to have a completed MSS before doing so. Three minutes isn’t long to excite the interest of a publisher who is after stories in very specific genres, and who therefore needs to believe your MSS is worth investing the time needed to read it in full. I’m pretty certain I’ve excited the necessary interest, but given Jane will hear the pitches of many more optimistic and talented writers after my morning session today, there are no guarantees. That initial interest might well wane as the day goes on if other writers have written stories that sound far more intriguing – and marketable. One can never forget that aspect of publishing these days: will the book sell. I believe my story will – certainly in Tasmania it definitely will – but a wider Australian readership? That’s an unknown even if my mentor is convinced of the story’s universal appeal.  I’d certainly like to think I’ve caught the zeitgeist wave given the current widespread community unrest over AI data centres, that’s already prompting similar serious opposition, and for many of the same reasons the Tamar Valley’s community opposed the pulp mill. Environmental degradation, threats to public health, water usage – and water shortages in an era of escalating climate extremes – and the constant, relentless noise factor that’s associated with data centres, and AI data centres in particular. I’m crossing my fingers that the second pitch session will be equally positive, and that I could strike it lucky with both publishers requesting to see the full MSS. But I won’t get ahead of myself. I’ll just be keeping all fingers and toes firmly crossed for the next seven days.
Magni

Fiona's gift

By Anne Layton-Bennett • June 14, 2026
It’s taken far too many months for this marvellous model to grace the dedicated desk space in my office. When Fiona comes to visit next she will be very surprised, and hopefully gratified, that her amazing creative talent is finally on display. We’ve known each other for a very long time, and during the insanely busy time when I was helping to run the flower farm, working part-time in a school library, doing a spot of journalism on the side, and fighting the proposed pulp mill that is the subject of the manuscript I’m hoping to get published, Fiona cleaned my house each week. There’s only so much a person can do after all, and it has to be said cleaning our house during those manic years was fairly low down on the list of my priorities. But Fiona is a woman of many talents and she certainly possesses one that I so don’t have: sewing and dressmaking. So over the years she’s also made a few garments based on the pattern of a favourite garment that I was particularly fond of, and she’s also done some clothing alterations for both of us. My skills with needles and thread are limited to sewing on buttons, and taking up hems on John’s too-long pairs of jeans. Anything else is beyond me. But this fabulous model is the pièce de résistance – along with the beautiful crocheted knee warmer she gave me last year. This was when winter was approaching and so determined was I to finish writing the book, I decided to get out of bed at the insane hour of 5am and get in a solid hour’s writing in before dog walking and the demands of the day took over. Fiona was also one of many Tasmanians who needed to be circumspect about her opinion of the pulp mill. It was a project that polarised people, including families and friendships. She was one of several who passed on snippets of useful information, but on the basis of anonymity so it couldn’t be sheeted home to her.  Needless to say Fiona will be one of those whose contribution will be acknowledged – when this book is finally accepted by a publisher.

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